Aerial trailer



,Jan. 27,1942. F. G. MANSON 2 70,884

AERIAL TRAILER Filed Nov. .12, 1940 INVENTOR.

Fr ank Manson BY x E l A ORNEYS.

mama Jan. 27, 1942' AERIAL minim Frank G. Manson, Dayton, om Application November 12, 1940, Serial No. mars 11 Claims. (01. 273-1053) (Granted under the net of March amended April 30, 1928; 37. 0. 'G

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates aerial trailers.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an aerial trailer particularly well adapted for use as a tow target, which is constructed so as to produce a minimum drag and yet provide a large projected target area.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an improved tow target or aerial trailer which is relatively simple in construction, and which may be collapsed into a compact mass.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an improved aerial trailer which can be used with high speed aircraft and is so constructed as to produce a minimum drag and yet give an unusually large target projection.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, showing the various parts of the improved aerial trailer or tow target.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the improved tow target.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the improved tow target.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of 11- to improvements in lustration is shown only a preferred. embodiment of the invention, the letter A generally designates the improved aerial trailer or tow target. It may include a main body target section B of flexible sheet material, such as fabric, which may be conveniently referred to as a flag section; a

stabilizing sleeve section C at the rear end of the body B; stabilizing and vane structure D; a bridle cable F.

The main body B of the target is preferably rectangular in shape, It may be of any desired length, and its flag appearance is to insure that the entire target will slip-stream through the airwith a minimum drag. This body B may be reinforced at its upper and lower edges i0 and H, and at its rear edge I2 where it is connected with the sleeve section C. At its front or leading edge the flag or body section B is provided with a cross spreader rod l3 of steel or other material, which air stream directing section E, and a tow I the sleeves 20 and 2!.

strong flexible material,

is housed within a suitable seam i4, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing. This spreader rod I! has a small cross section, and extends normal to the upper and lower edges of the target body. It is the only rigid material in the flag or body section B.

The sleeve section C is of a length which is very appreciably shorter than the length of the target body B; its function being mainly that of providing a stabilizing influence for the flag section B and to insure that the flag section will not flutter and disintegrate. The preferred form of sleeve construction, as shown in the drawing, is the provision of a plurality of small diameter sleeves, some of which have their passageways intersected by the plane of the body B at the rear edge of the latter, and others of which are positioned at each side of the plane of the body B. In the preferred construction eight small sleeves are provided. Upper and lower sleeves 20 and 2l respectively have their passageways at the entrance ends intersected by the plane of the flag portion B. Two side sleeves 23 and 24 are provided at the right side of the flag or body section B, looking to the rear, and similarly two other sleeves 25 and 26 are provided at the opposite side of the plane of the flag section B.

As before mentioned, the sleeves 2026 are relatively small in diameter. They are all of the same length, and at their leading edges are provided with steel floating rings, shown at 30 in Figure 2 of the drawing, so that they are held open at their entrance ends. At their rear ends the sleeves 20-26 are each drawn to provide a constructed opening 3|, smaller than the passageway through the sleeve; the passageway otherwise being uniform in diameter throughout the length of the sleeve section. The constricted rear opening 3| of each sleeve is provided by placing a floating flexible draw string or ring, shown at 35 in Figure 3 of the drawing, in a seam of the sleeve. This string or ring is of rubber, textile or other flexible material.

As shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, the rear reinforced edge I201 the body section B is secured at 40 to each of the points where it crosses The sleeves 20-46 may be secured together at their ,;con'tacting edges, in any approved manner, if so-desired, and preferably they are circumferentially held together by means of a webbing band 45, preferably of which may be stitched or otherwise secured at, 46 to each of the'sleeves.

One or more of these bands may be provided, but

' construction,

a narrow band such as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing is sufficient.

The vane section D is provided for stabilizing and slip-stream dividing purposes and to insure that air will be properly directed into each of the sleeves of the section C. It includes a long tapered vane construction 60 extending the full lengthjof the'target body B. It has tapered vane portions at each side of the plane of the body B, and along the medial or axial line thereof. They start at the leading edge of the body B and terminate in diametrical intersection with the sleeves 23 and 26 of the section C, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing. These long tapered vane portions are secured at along the medial or longitudinal center line of the flag section B, and their outer edges 1| may be reinforced. They are secured to the leading edges of the small sleeves 23 and 26, at I2 (see Figure 1). It is noted that the plane formed. by the vane construction 60 is at an acute angle to the plane of the body section B extended.

The vane construction D of the aerial trailer B also includes a short vane 80. It comprises vanes of a tapered nature at each side of the plane of the body section B, starting at a point 8| close to the rear edge portion of the body section B and extending therefrom in tapered diametrical intersection with the open ends of the sleeve portions and 25, as shown in the drawing. The edges of the portions of the vane 80 are reinforced and secured as at points 85 to the sleeve sections 24 and 25. The plane of the vane 80 is at an acute angle to the plane of the body section 3 extended. It is noted that planes of intersection of the body B, vane 60 and vane 80, from the center line of the aerial trailer divide the same into sectors of approximately 30 degrees each.

Referring to the bridle construction E, the same I may consist of rope or other flexible members 90 and 9| extending from the top and bottom edges of the body section B to a tow cable con- I nection 92. If desired, fabric 93 may flu in the triangle formed by these ropes 90 and 9 I, and the leading edge of the body B where the stiifener rod I3 is positioned, but this fabric section is not necessary. Of course, the tow cable F is connected to the loop 92 in any approved manner.

The proportioning of the various sections of the aerial trailer is substantially correctly shown in Figure 1 of the drawing. Due to the fact that the main body section of the trailer provides in effect a plurality of intersecting vanes of plane the improved aerial trailer will have stability at high towing speeds over a long period of time. There are no airpassageways or tubes throughout the length of the main body section B or the vane construction D.

All parts of the tow target are of collapsible and flexible fabric or other materials except the stiffener rod I3; the tow hook or loop, and the stiiIener rings at the entrance ends of each of the sleeves of the main sleeve section 0.

Various changes may be made in the form of the invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An aerial trailer comprising an integral elongated flag-like fabric body target .section, means for towing it at its front end, and a short overall length air receiving open sleeve section secured at the rear end of the target section, said body target section being entirely free throughout its length of joints, open tubular sleeves or other passageways for receiving air so as to eliminate drag to the greatest possible extent.

2. An aerial trailer comprising an elongated main body section, and a short sleeve section at the rear end thereof consisting of a plurality of air dividing sleevesprojecting at each side of the body section and opened at their front and rear ends, said sleeves being of collapsible material and having at their entrance ends rigid spreader rings, and having their rear ends drawn to provide constricted openings.

3. In an aerial trailer, a main body section of elongated flat flexible non-tubular construction, a stabilizing sleeve section at the rear end thereof which in overall length is short compared to the overall length of the body section and includes a plurality of small diametered sleeves providing passageways open at their front and rear ends for receiving the slip-stream of air therethrough, and vane means connected with and extending along the main body of the trailer in planes transverse thereto and cooperatively related to the entrance ends of said sleeves for directing the slip-stream of air thereinto.

4. In an aerial trailer, an elongated flag section of flexible material, a rear shorter sleeve section comprising a plurality of small sleeves the passageways of which are open at their front and rear ends, a long flexible vane section providing portions extending along and in intersection relation with the plane of the flag section, and a shorter vane section likewise positioned with respect to the body section and at the rear end thereof.

5. In an aerial trailer, an elongated flag section of flexible material, a rear shorter sleeve section comprising a plurality of small sleeves the passageways of which are open at their front and rear ends, a long flexible vane section providing portions extending along and in intersecting relation with the plane of the flag section, and a shorter vane section likewise positioned with respect to the body section and at the rear end thereof, the vane sections and body system at their rear edges diametrically intersecting the passageways of the small sleeves at the leading edges of the latter.

6. An aerial trailer comprising an elongated 'main body section, and a very much shorter stabilizing sleeve section at the rear end of the body section consisting of a plurality of parallel air dividing sleeves open at their front and rear ends, the rear ends of said sleeves having their openings restricted so as to produce a drag during towing of the target.

7. An aerial trailer comprising an elongated main body section, a very much shorter stabilizing sleeve section at the rear end of the body section consisting of a plurality of parallel air dividing sleeves open .at their front and rear ends, and expansible means at the rear ends of each of said sleeves normally tending to constrict the rear openings of the sleeves so as to produce a drag, but of a nature to expand under varying air pressure to vary the size of the drag openings according to resistance of the air to passage thru said sleeves.

8. An aerial trailer comprising a flat collapsible rectangular-shaped main body target adapted to be vertically positioned during flight, a short sleeve section at the rear end of the target comprising a plurality of sleeves having the passageways thereof open at their fore and rear ends to passage of air therethru, and tapered vanes connected at each side of said target body and disposed in planes transverse to the plane of the body and secured thereto and disposed in intersecting relation with the openings to said sleeves.

9. An aerial trailer comprising a flat collapsible rectangular-shaped main body target adapted to be vertically positioned during flight, a short sleeve section at the rear end of the target comprising a plurality oi sleeves having the passageways thereof open at their fore and rear ends to passage of air therethru, and tapered vanes connected at each side of said target body and,

secured thereto and disposed in intersecting relation with the openings to said sleeves, one of said tapered vanes at each side of the target body being shorter than the other of said tapered vanes.

10. An aerial tow trailer comprising a flat flexible elongated non-tubular body section normally vertically positioned during towing, means at the front end thereof for attaching it to an aircraft for towing purposes, and stabilizing means connected at the rear end of said flat vertically positioned body section comprising a plurality of 3 open sleeves each of which is materially shorter than the length of the body section, at least one sleeve being disposed in its entirety at each side of the plane of the body section for freely receiving the slip stream of air at that side of the body therethrough. t

11; An aerial tow trailer comprising a flat flexible elongated non-tubular body section normally vertically positioned during towing, means at the front end thereof for attaching it to an aircraft for towing purposes, and stabilizing means ccnnected at the rear end of said flat vertically positioned body section comprising a plurality of open sleeves each of which is materially shorter than the length of the body section, at least one sleeve being disposed in its entirety at each side of the plane of the body section for freely receiving the slip stream of air at that side of the body therethrough, and a vane at each side of the vertically positioned flat body section secured thereto and running therealong and disposed in a plane transverse to the plane of the body section and diametrically intersecting the passageway of the sleeve at the respective side of the body section.

FRANK G. MANSON. 

